Bon-er-Bari: A secluded forest retreat redefining modern Bengal architecture
The five-bedroom and a living-dining space under a large super-roof villa stands at one corner of the 20-acre estate with the rest of the forest thriving around it
From a bird's eye view, the villa looks like a dot amidst the canopies of a 20-acre forest. Surrounded by the luscious foliage of Gazipur's Bhawal Forest, the semi-circular metal roof looks like another canopy. Hence the perfect naming - 'Bon-er-Bari' or 'The Forest Home'.
Just a two-hour drive from the capital, the private vacation villa for a joint family, secluded in Gazipur's Chandra, belongs to Shahadat Hossain Kiron, the owner of Dekko Legacy Group.
Vitti Sthapati Brindo, a 34-year-old architectural firm owned by two prominent architects of the country, - Md Ishtiaque Zahir and Md Iqbal Habib, took the project in 2020, and in 2022, the family had their first vacation here.
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Before we delve into the architectural wisdom of this one-crore project, it's important to know why it was named 'Bon er Bari' and not just a forest retreat.
My question to the lead architect of this project, Md Ishtiaque Zahir was, why they chose a Bangla name, as they would obviously have to translate this every time they present this on international platforms.
Surprisingly, he took a long time to explain this question.
"Look into the name of our firm, Vitti Sthapati Brindo. We could have chosen a simpler name like Vitti Architects. However, we realised that we would have to stand for our language, our culture, and what belongs to us. Otherwise, someday it would take some foreigner to teach us the things that were once ours."
With this commitment in mind, Vitti has been naming almost every project with Bangla names.
Well, this project was named perfectly. The 4000 square-foot villa with five bedrooms and a living-dining space under a large super-roof, stands at one corner of the estate with the rest of the forest thriving around it.
A central courtyard allows light to enter the space while the rooms have a panoramic view of the forest. The estate has vegetable gardens, service complexes and a long brick walkway from the main entrance to the villa.
Significant trees are preserved, with voids incorporated into the roof and ground plate to accommodate them.
The aspiration was to craft a peaceful and environmentally conscious living space that respects the local context and enriches the lives of its inhabitants.
How the circular design came to life
It has an interesting story. The owner of the home initially wanted five separate tin-roofed traditional huts for members of the family. Each of the huts would have a bedroom, a living-dining space, and a bathroom.
"This was the initial design—five separate homes surrounding an uthan or a courtyard in the middle. The walls would be half concrete and half tin or bamboo. So it was supposed to be a low-cost traditional village home structure," Architect Ishtiaque said.
Later, he realised that five separate houses would turn the joint family into a community instead. Then why not bring these homes under one roof?
When he brought them under one roof, it appeared multiple trees would have to be cut down. Instead, he decided to cut the roof to accommodate the existing trees.
"And that is how a semi-circular garland-like structure came out of it, with an extended roof. It was more of a solution-driven design", Ishtiaque explained.
The area has some mud houses around the estate. So, he used mud walls for the rooms, which blend beautifully with the forest landscape. "The super roof overhead protects the entire structure, so the mudwalls do not need to be repaired every now and then."
So in a way, it is a traditional Bangali home for a joint family, while the form, structure, and material give it a more modern look.
"You could say that through this project, we wanted to redefine our Bengal architecture and give it a modern touch," Ishtiaque said.
In the circular design, the rooms are placed strategically with panoramic glass walls, which maximises the view towards the forest from each room, while the other walls are made of concrete, providing privacy.
"That way, when you are inside, you feel seamlessly integrated with the surrounding landscape while having your privacy," the architect explained.
The zoning of the building was set to prioritise outward view over courtyard view.
Consequently, toilets face the central courtyard and the bedrooms are open towards the exterior, achieving a harmonious balance between service, privacy, and social spaces.
A three-layer super roof
One of the defining features of this villa is the extended super roof that crowns it. The clients wanted tin roofs, similar to what we have in traditional village homes.
In reality, the house has a triple layer super roof - the outermost roof is made of metal, made of zinc alloy which does not gather rust easily.
There is a gap between this one and the second layer of wooden roof. And every room has a separate gypsum roof over them.
"The reason we came up with this triple layer super roof was to reduce excessive heat and cold. The gaps in between these layers allow air flow and the natural ventilation keeps the interior comfortable," the architect said.
This roof system significantly enhances energy efficiency by providing additional insulation and reducing heat gain, thus lowering the need for excessive air conditioning and reducing overall energy consumption.
Also, the practice of protecting trees by incorporating void spaces in the roof not only preserves the site's natural beauty but also promotes biodiversity, enriching the ecological balance of the surrounding.
And when night falls, ground lighting to illuminate the super roof adds a touch of aesthetics and highlights the architectural features.
Furthermore, this roof serves as a seamless link between the indoor and outdoor realms, embodying the project's design philosophy.
Biodiversity restoration with an elevated ground plate
A guiding principle for this project was to minimise habitat hindrance (meaning, not disturbing the animals, or microorganisms living in nature). So, they installed an elevated floor, supported by concrete beams, barely touching the ground and thus allowing the flora and fauna to flourish beneath.
The mother of the family wanted to walk around the forest in the morning and evening. But stepping onto the ground might disrupt the flora and fauna, hence this unique solution.
"As we extend the roof, we extended the floor, made a ramp around the rooms and that way, a garland-shaped walkway around the villa was created that catered to her morning strolls," Architect Ishtique said.
Another reason to detach the floor from the ground was to reduce ground sweating.
"Jungles have a lot of humidity, which causes floor sweating, and dampness, especially during monsoon. As air can pass beneath the elevated platform, the floor inside will not sweat."
Further, it has been oriented in a way to take advantage of daylight and wind, which makes the indoor environment more thermally comfortable.
Materials chosen with commitment to the surrounding landscape
The project was greatly inspired from its surrounding landscape. The site is mostly a terrain consisting of shallow hills, flat plains, dense forest and paddy fields. And the architects chose flat plains for the villa due to their suitability for construction.
They attempted to integrate contemporary and traditional elements in the use of materials and building techniques.
Adopting a super roof, and combining modern steel components with traditional elements like mudwalls, gypsum, and wood roof and concrete exemplifies cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to create a sustainable, culturally rich and visually striking design.
The use of a mud wall construction demonstrates a certain approach to building practices. It provides excellent insulation properties, regulating temperatures and reducing the need for additional cooling or heating systems.
"We added handmade mudwalls, meaning they have a rustic uneven surface. They create a rural ambiance and reflect the traditional craftsmanship of the region," the architect said.
Using glass on the outer wall gives the villa a sheer house look. "Honestly speaking, I wanted to use wood instead of glass, as it goes well with mud walls. But wood is extremely expensive to install as well as to maintain. So, we went for glass as it was low cost and also allowed light to enter," Ishtiaque added.
The kitchen, located separately from the main villa, allows convenience and operational efficiency.
To minimise the use of on-site construction, the steel structure was used to reduce the use of Reinforced Concrete (RCC).
Furthermore, the use of locally sourced materials (woods, mud and bricks) and labour also reduced transportation-related emission.
